Lions 2013 Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

jamiedav2011 wrote: »

Just can't see how anyone who has watched some of Richie Gray's 'performances' on this tour to start on Sat.

The guy has done little all season. I've said it before, but if he had brown hair he'd be at home with his feet up and Jim Hamilton/D Ryan would be out there!

Such an overrated lock.

I think he's actually on tour to act as a common sense filter. If you see anyone posting anything about him playing a test, you can be pretty sure they're a good candidate for the ignore list.

Sandwlch wrote: »

It has a feel of the planets aligning for BOD to regret his decision to extend by the one-more-year !

Nothing stopping him changing his mind if he get's the right result Saturday. But, I think he wouldn't mind the extra year working with Joe Schmidt for Ireland.

Rightwing wrote: »

SOB will def start, and maybe it's a good thing. Warburton is good in defense, but a limited Aussie team proved that you can't spend a game defending and hope to win.

Roberts is the key player now. Have we got over the gain line once? Philips also needs to be brought back in.

And Warburton proved in the first test that he plays an important part in the way the Lions like to attack. And it's a part that SOB won't play. Warburton being out creates a major issue for Gatland in finding an attacking balance for his pack.

The problem exists, on Saturday we had no scrum and no lineout, it's a testament to how poor Australia are, that the game ended so close. The argument for bringing Gray in would be to fix the lineout, his all round game though would be to much of a burden to carry, just to get some lineout ball, biggest problem of all is that not one of the hookers can throw decently enough to hit the tail, which seems to be the a,b & c plan for the coaches with no plan d. The best option to fix the lineout is to sacrifice Lydiate for croft not bring Gray in. The scrum will be a lottery anyway on Saturday with Poite reffing, the amount of power coming through from Kane Douglas seemed to be causing huge problems so the lions second rows need to step up to the plate big style.

Bring in Phillips ahead of Murray who had an absolute stormer, why???(I'm not Murrays biggest fan when he wears green, but he deserves this start)

we can debate everything else all we like.

we get the lineout working properly, we'll more than likely win the series. our strike runners will do the rest.

Gatland's role is to react if that is not working, and free the team to play differently if that's the case, otherwise you'll get the same tense, bitty game you got this past weekend.

irishbucsfan wrote: »

We put about 23 phases together before Genias try. Watch that period and you'll begin to understand his value that day.

And in the second test pretty much the opposite happened. Warburton brings his own value to the attack but we were definitely missing some hard carrying up front/everywhere and SOB would be perfect for that

Frankie "Rory Best for lions captain" Sheehan writes in todays indo that Gatland should give place kicking duties to Sexton for the final test because not having them it is affecting his confidence.

I mean seriously:eek:, are media outlets paying this guy for comedy value at this stage?
Surely Frankie doesnt actually believe half the rubbish he comes out with . does he?

eclipsechaser wrote: »

What's wrong with a back-row of 6. SOB, 7. Tipuric, 8. Heaslip/ Faletau?

I would have thought this has a nice balance of defence and ball-carrying. However it's the only combination not to have been mentioned here so I feel I must be missing something...

Essentially you're going into a test completely untested with that backrow. Gatland wouldn't risk it.

On paper it's a brilliant backrow tho.

Noffles wrote: »

The Warburton debate is over, he's not playing on Saturday so any scathing comments now seem a tad unsporting...


SOB,Tipuric and Faletau would be ideal for the back row... Bring Phillips back in, Roberts in Ctr with Bod and Cuthbert back on the wing...

There you go...

Don't know why you'd bring Cuthbert back in when, aside from a soft try, he's been quite poor without ball in hand? He had a game to forget in the first test.

I agree with the rest, altho that backrow would be completely untested. I'd have either Lydiate or Heaslip in there because they'll know what to expect and won't get blown off the park if things don't go their way.